Forensics Research
Here Are Some of the Videos for Our Forensics Study Day 1 and Day 2. Please Review the Details in Chapter 22 and 27 of the Book “Killing Vincent: The Man, The Myth, and The Murder” for more information.
Forensics Research
Purpose of the Forensics Study
The historical records regarding the death of Vincent van Gogh do not note any type of black powder burns. Dr. Arenberg and his team agree that this is because the gun was fired from a distance, leading to the conclusion that Vincent was murdered and did not commit suicide.
Shirt catches fire while testing from point blank range.
Dr. Arenberg fires the gun from approximately 6 inches away. The black powder shoots out of the muzzle like a cloud of fire.
Here the gun is fired from a little over a foot away. The fireball dissipates very quickly into the air, leaving smaller traces of black powder on the target.
Finnally, the gun is fired from over 2 feet away. Hardly any black powder reaches the target from this distance.
The Speculative Knife Theory
As witnesses of Vincent’s wound described it simply as a small hole with purple edges, Dr. Arenberg has also postulated that Vincent’s lethal wound could have been caused by a knife, and not a bullet at all. The fact that there are no witnesses that ever heard a gunshot reinforces this as a feasible alternative theory.
Dr. Arenberg demonstrates the knife theory as he stabs the ballistic gel.